Genus 18. 



SEDGE FAMILY. 



375 



44. Carex canescens L. Silvery or Hoary Sedge. Fig. 911. 



Carex canescens L. Sp. PI. 974. 1753. 



Carex canescens var. subloliacea Laestad. Nov. Act. Soc. 



Sci. Ups. 11: 282. 1839. 

 C. canescens var. disjuncta Fernald, Proc. Am. Acad. 37: 



488. 1902. 



Pale green and somewhat glaucous, culms slender, 

 erect, roughish above, io'-2i° tall. Leaves flat, i"-2" 

 wide, usually shorter than the culm; bracts very short 

 or none, or the lowest occasionally bristle-form and 

 longer than its spike ; spikes 4-9, gynaecandrous, short- 

 oblong or subglobose, sessile, densely 10-many-flowered, 

 ii"-6" long, i4"-24" in diameter, scattered or the up- 

 per close together ; perigynia oval or ovate-oval, silvery 

 green or nearly white, faintly few-nerved, appressed- 

 ascending, blunt-edged, from nearly 1" long to nearly 

 il" long, i"-i" wide, rough or sometimes smoothish 

 above, tipped with a minute entire or emarginate beak; 

 scales hyaline, ovate, acute or obtuse, slightly shorter 

 than the perigynia ; stigmas 2. 



In swamps and bogs, Virginia and Ohio, north and north- 

 westward to arctic circle, southward in western mountains. 

 Also in Europe and Asia. Whitish sedge. May-July. 



45. Carex brunnescens (Pers.) Poir. Brownish Sedge. Fig. 912. 



Carex curta var. brunnescens Pers. Syn. 2: 539. 1807. 

 C. brunnescens Poir. in Lam. Encycl. Suppl. 3: 286. 181 3. 

 Carex canescens var. vulgaris Bailey, Bot. Gaz. 13 : 86. 1888. 

 Carex brunnescens gracilior Britton ; Brit. & Br. Ill, Fl. 1 : 

 351. 1896. 



Rather dark green, not glaucous, culms slender, stiff, 

 erect, roughish above, 8'-i8' tall. Leaves i"-ii" wide, 

 shorter than the culm; lower bract usually present, 

 bristle- form ; spikes 4-8, gynaecandrous, subglobose or 

 short-oblong, 4-10-flowered, 2"-6i" long, somewhat 

 scattered, or approximate; perigynia loosely spreading, 

 brown-tinged, usually smaller than those of the pre- 

 ceding species, tipped with a manifest, minutely biden- 

 tate, roughish beak about one-fourth as long as the 

 body; scales - ovate, membranous, brownish, somewhat 

 shorter than the perigynia; stigmas 2. 



In wet or even dry places, mostly at high altitudes, Lab- 

 rador to British Columbia, New York and New England, on 

 the southern Alleghanies, and the Rocky Mountains. Also 

 in Europe. Ascends to 6600 ft. in North Carolina. Summer. 



46. Carex arcta Boott. Northern Clustered Sedge. Fig. 913. 



Carex canescens var. polystachya Boott ; Richards. Arct. 



Exp. 2: 344. 1852. Not C. polystachya Sw. 1803. 

 Carex arcta 'Boott, III. 155. pi. 407. 1867. 



Rather light green but scarcely glaucous, culms 

 caespitose, slender, usually strictly erect, 6'-2i° tall, 

 rough above, often overtopped by the leaves which 

 are flat and i"-2" wide. Lower bract bristle-form 

 and longer than its spike, or short, or wanting; 

 spikes 5-15, oblong, or ovoid, many-flowered, gynae- 

 candrous, 2"~5" long, 2"-3" in diameter, all aggre- 

 gated into an oblong or ovoid head 7"-is" long; 

 perigynia pale, ovate, broadest near base, many- 

 nerved, ascending or somewhat spreading, i"-ii" 

 long, . white-puncticulate, tapering into a serrulate 

 bidentate beak about one-half as long as the body; 

 scales membranous, usually pale brown, obtusish to 

 short-cuspidate, shorter than the perigynia'; stigmas 2. 



In swamos and wet woods, Maine and New Bruns- 

 wick to British Columbia, south to Massachusetts, New 

 York, Minnesota and California. June-July. 



